Ruben Amorim wants to bolster his Manchester United squad with as many as five new signings in addition to Patrick Dorgu, according to reports.
Dorgu completed his medical on Saturday and is set to be confirmed as United’s first senior arrival of the January window. They have also been tipped to land Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel, who recently turned down a move to Tottenham.
Even if both deals are completed before Monday’s deadline, it will not be enough to convince Amorim that his squad is in the right place.
Per sources close to the manager, he is adamant that at least five more signings will be needed to make the Red Devils competitive again, according to the Sunday Mirror. However, it will be easier said than done with United said to be running short of cash.
Vital funds pumped into the club by Sir Jim Ratcliffe have reportedly been earmarked for infrastructure improvements, meaning they will not be spent on player recruitment.
The report adds that by the end of this year, United will need to pay around £150million of the £315m they owe for previous transfer business. They are also ravaged by debt to the tune of £700m, while the club has lost £370m in the last five years.
It means there is a shortage of funds available to strengthen the playing squad despite the Red Devils spending around £219m in pre-season.
United were hoping to raise money by selling Marcus Rashford, having reportedly placed a £70m price tag on the forward. He is now expected to join Aston Villa on loan with the Red Devils paying most of his £325,000-per-week salary.
They have also been trying to sell Casemiro, with reports claiming that United have touched base with a number of intermediaries ahead of Monday’s deadline.
Casemiro is currently said to be earning around £350,000 per week, making him one of the Premier League’s highest-paid players. He is tied down at Old Trafford until the summer of 2026.
Earlier this week, Amorim insisted that United were working hard to make signings before the January window slams shut.
“What I can say is that the club wants to improve the team, that is the most important thing,” he said. “Everybody is doing things, everything, to improve the team.
“If we can do it or not, sometimes it doesn’t depend just on the club or even the player. We are focused on improving the team, but also we are really focused on not doing mistakes that are going to be hard in the future to go back.”